Day of the Dead
by Isabel Night
Summary: Sequel to Anubis' Funeral. An exchange student from Mexico comes to stay with the Ronins, and teaches the Warlords that death is not the end. Based on research I did about the Day of the Dead Festival celebrated in Mexico.
1. Prologue

Day of the Dead  
  
Isabel Night  
  
I do not own the Ronin Warriors, The Dark Warlords, or Mia. I do own Mercedes and Pepita. This story is based on research I did on "El Dia de los Muertos" or the Day of the Dead.  
  
Prologue  
  
It was a quiet, boring autumn morning in Talpa's former Capital City. A few weeks ago, the festivities of the rice harvest had ended, and now the inhabitants were trying to settle down for the usual harsh winter that came every year. Inside Talpa's repaired castle, Dais was heading out to the castle gardens to meditate when Cale abruptly stopped him. "Where are you going?" The Warrior of Winter asked his friend.  
  
"To the garden," Dais replied, "you know that I set aside this time everyday to meditate."  
  
"Well, not today," Cale sighed, "the Ronins have, what the mortals call, an "exchange student" over, and she wants to see us."  
  
"Why?" The Warrior of Summer asked, furrowing his eyebrows.  
  
"Well," ex-Warlord of Corruption replied, shaking his head, "the Ronins told her about the war and a lot of other things, when she, for some odd reason, asked if we knew anyone who had died recently."  
  
"So they told her about Anubis, and the funeral we held for him several months ago?" Dais questioned.  
  
"Yes," Cale nodded, "in fact when she learned about the funeral, she smiled and asked that all of us rendezvous at Mia's house."  
  
"When does this "Exchange Student" want to see us?" The ex-Warlord of Illusion asked.  
  
"Now," Cale answered.  
  
The one-eyed warrior threw his hands up in the air and sighed, "Then I guess we should get going."  
  
"Sekhmet's already there," Cale huffed, "the both of us need to get back to the castle and change into some "mortal" clothes."  
  
"Fine," Dais replied as the two remaining Seasons walked back towards the castle proper. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
When Dais and Cale walked inside Mia's house, they found all five Ronin Warriors and Sekhmet sitting on the two couches and three love seats that were spread all over the Living Room. On the other hand, they did not see Mia or the "Exchange Student." "So, where are Mia and this "Exchange Student"?" Dais asked the Bearer of the Armor of Hardrock.  
  
"They went out to do some shopping," Kento replied as he shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"For what?" Cale asked.  
  
"If you want to find out! Then you'll come out here and help us with these packages!" A female voice yelled.  
  
"We're coming!" Sage yelled in response.  
  
Seeing that there was nothing else to do, all three ex-Warlords got up form one of the couches and walked outside towards the driveway. It was there that they noticed the five Elementals helping Mia and another girl, that Dais figured was the "Exchange Student," unload various items from the jeep. Cale noticed that the two women had bought bread dough, sugar, food coloring, something the mortals called "tissue paper" in three different colors, various colored candles, soap, incense holders, incense, plums, peaches, something mortals called "Hard Candy," Sake, and other various objects. "Are you three going to help," the "Exchange Student's" voice scolded, "this is your festival too."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Dais blinked, puzzled by the young woman's words.  
  
The "Exchange Student" sighed, "If you three help me with all this stuff, I'll be able to tell you."  
  
After everything had been brought inside, Mia asked everyone to sit down in the Family Room until she could get everyone some tea. When Mia came back with a tray of Green Tea, everyone took a cup. The "Exchange Student" took a sip of her tea and began to speak. "My name is Mercedes Candelario, I go to a local college in Mexico City, the same city where I have lived in all my life. This is the first time I have been out of my country, and Mia helped me feel a little closer to home by allowing me to celebrate my people's traditional autumn festival that started this morning."  
  
"What festival?" Sekhmet questioned.  
  
"El Dia de los Muertos," Mercedes smiled, "or as the English-Speaking people call it, the Day of the Dead."  
  
Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet looked confused.  
  
Mercedes looked at her watch, ignoring the confused look on the Seasons' faces. "It is 9 o'clock in the morning already, and we still have so much to do. Could you three show me where your friend is buried?"  
  
"Uh," Dais stuttered, "he's buried in the Nether Realm."  
  
"WHAT!" Mercedes yelled in complete shock, sitting her tea down on a small coffee table, "How can three people, who are still alive, exist in Mictlan?"  
  
"Mictlan?" Sekhmet mumbled as his eyes went wide, "What is Mictlan?"  
  
"Not what," Mercedes smiled, recovering from the startled expression, "but where."  
  
"What do you mean?" Cale replied, furrowing his eyebrow.  
  
Mercedes smiled again, "Many years before my Spanish ancestors came to Mexico, there lived a great civilization called the Aztecs. At that time, between the end of July and the beginning of August, the Aztecs celebrated a festival that was the groundwork for the Day of the Dead. The festival was presided over by Mictecacihuatl, the Goddess of the Dead. Her realm is called Mictlan, or, translated into English, "place of the dead." However, despite what many people believe, Mictlan is not a place of judgment, but a comfortable resting place that the dead can reside until they visit his or her living loved ones."  
  
"So how can you tell when the dead has come to visit?" Sekhmet questioned in a tone of voice that sounded like a mix of curiosity and alarm.  
  
"Have you ever seen Monarch Butterflies?" Mercedes grinned.  
  
"Yes," All three Seasons replied.  
  
Mercedes grinned again, "The Monarch Butterfly bear the dead person to his or her relatives. It is by instinct that the dead guide his or her butterfly to their loved ones."  
  
"Sounds crazy," Dais whispered to Cale.  
  
"I know it does sound crazy," Mercedes agreed, "But that remark is to be expected from people who do not live in my culture. And," Mercedes smiled as she picked up her teacup to take another sip of tea, "I'd advise you not to whisper, I have very good hearing."  
  
Dais almost turned red.  
  
"So," Mercedes began, "what is this "Nether Realm"?"  
  
Dais explained as best he could about the world that he, Cale, and Sekhmet lived in. It was mostly a world of demons and some humans, not a land of the dead. When Dais had finished, Mercedes slowly nodded her head. "Is there any way we can get all of this to your "Nether Realm" and be ready for the ceremony at noon?"  
  
Dais nodded as he waved his hand. Almost as if by magic, a gate opened up to the Nether Realm in the Living Room. "Here you go."  
  
"Thanks," Mercedes smiled, "but that doesn't excuse you three from carrying stuff."  
  
"WHAT!" Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet yelled at the same time.  
  
Mercedes frowned, "Help me with this stuff and quiet whining like little boys." 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Cale couldn't remember any time in his life when he had to carry so many things. Thankfully, no one had to carry anything heavy. When everyone walked into the commons area of the castle and unloaded the stuff they were carrying, Mercedes tapped Cale on his right shoulder, "Are there any nice cups, shot glasses and bottles to go along with the shot glasses?"  
  
"Yes," Cale answered, "why?"  
  
"Where I'm from," Mercedes smiled, "on the Day of the Dead we leave out a shot glass and bottle full of Tequila for the adult dead. But since no one here drinks Tequila, I thought we could use Sake instead."  
  
Cale nodded and showed Mercedes where the Kitchen was. When the ex-Warlord of Corruption and the exchange student got to the largest cabinet in the kitchen, Mercedes took out a small white and pale blue porcelain bottle and matching porcelain shot glass. She also got out a gold pitcher and basin, "Take these things to Mia, and after you give them to her, would you bring me the sugar, the sweetener, and the food coloring?"  
  
"Why?" Cale questioned.  
  
Mercedes laughed, "No Day of the Dead is complete without candy skulls."  
  
"C…C…CANDY SKULLS!" Cale shrieked.  
  
"What?" Mercedes questioned, "You've never seen a skull before?"  
  
"Uh…well...uh…" the Warrior of Winter stammered.  
  
"Don't worry," Mercedes laughed again, "I make good candy skulls. They're really delicious and I'm sure you'll enjoy eating them."  
  
"I…uh…better give this stuff to Mia," Cale answered, making a quick exit for the door.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
As Dais and Sekhmet were helping Mia, Sage, and Ryo take out all of the stuff from the plastic bags. As Sekhmet took out the "tissue paper" from its plastic bag, he noticed that Mia and Mercedes had only bought a large quantity of only three different colors. "Mia," Sekhmet began, "Why did you and Mercedes buy purple, white, and pink tissue paper?"  
  
Mia smiled, "According to what Mercedes told me, all altars must have the four Elements."  
  
"Impossible," Sage stated, "There are five Elements."  
  
"In the eastern part of the world," Mia clarified, "there are five Elements: earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. However, in the western part of the world, there are only four Elements: earth, air, fire, and water. According to Mercedes, an altar to the dead must have all four elements. The fire will be represented by the candle's flame, the earth will be represented by a special bread baked for the Day of the Dead called "Pan de Muerto" or as the English-Speaking people call it, "Bread of the Dead." Water is symbolized by the pitcher of water in which the dead will wash his or her hands after its long journey from Mictlan, and the wind is symbolized by the tissue paper, which will be cut into different designs. The three colors of tissue paper we bought have symbolic meaning for this festival: purple means pain and suffering, white means hope, and pink is the color of the festival."  
  
"So then," Dais began, pulling out two gold picture frames, "Why did you two buy picture frames?"  
  
"The central part of the Day of the Dead altar is a picture of the deceased," Mia explained, "It helps to clarify whose altar is whose. Besides, Mercedes is going to help us with an altar to Anubis while she prepares one for her little sister."  
  
"Little sister?" Dais questioned, "I didn't know she had a little sister."  
  
"She died two years ago." Mia explained, "and her name was Pepita. From what Mercedes told me, she was eight years old when she died."  
  
"How did she die?" Sekhmet asked.  
  
"She was ridding her bike when a car speed up behind her," Mia answered, trying to remember everything Mercedes told her, "The driver wasn't paying attention and hit Pepita, killing her instantly."  
  
"But isn't she buried in Mexico?" Sage asked  
  
"Yes," Mia replied, "but Pepita was Mercedes only sister. And she loved her very much, I know that for two years she made an altar to Pepita on her own, without any help."  
  
Sage slowly nodded, even though he had two sisters, he couldn't imagine anything bad happening to them.  
  
"Here's the stuff Mercedes wanted me to give you," Cale cleared his throat.  
  
"Thanks," Mia smiled as she took the stuff from Cale's hands.  
  
"Uh…" Cale stammered, "Do you know where the sugar, sweetener, and food coloring are?"  
  
"Over there," Mia pointed out.  
  
"Thanks," Cale murmured, as he took the three ingredients and sped towards the kitchen in a hurry.  
  
"What's his problem?" Dais asked.  
  
"I don't know," Sekhmet answered. 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Mercedes knew that Candy Skulls took a while to cook, so why were the Candy Skulls done quicker than usual? After she had taken the skulls out of the oven, or something Mercedes guessed was an oven, she let the bone-looking confection cool as she prepared to use the red food coloring. Outside, Mercedes could hear the three "Warlords," as they called themselves, asking questions about the altar to their friend. She could also hear her five housemates talking and joking while they cut the tissue paper into intricate designs. 'It's good to see them working together,' the Spanish girl thought, 'after losing their best friend, I think it's wonderful that they've come together to remember him.'  
  
When the food coloring was ready, Mercedes took one of the two large skulls and dipped a small brush into the dye. After she wrote "Anubis" on the first large skull, she repeated the same process on three smaller skulls. After she was done with those four skulls, she took the other large candy skull and wrote "Pepita." After writing her sister's name on three smaller skulls, she carried all eight skulls out to the altars in a whicker basket.  
  
*******************************************************************************************  
  
When Mercedes walked into the Commons Area, she noticed that the two three-tiered altar had been set up, and that the altar to Anubis was almost complete. Anubis' altar had a drawing of the man in the gold picture frame; the altar also had a gold pitcher full of water, a gold basin, and a towel. She also noticed that on the bottom level of the thee-tier altar, there were many lighted white and sky blue candles. However, at the top of the altar, Mercedes noticed that the light to guide Anubis from Mictlan were four, lit purple candles. "Why do you place four candles that symbolize pain and suffering as the beacon light to guide your deceased friend home?" Mercedes questioned.  
  
"One candle equals 100 years," Dais responded. "All four candles represent the 400 years of hell Talpa and the three of us put him through."  
  
Mercedes nodded sympathetically, "I have to put these candy skulls on the altar."  
  
As the young Spanish woman put the first candy skull with Anubis name written on the confection's "forehead" on the second level of the altar, Mercedes murmured, "In the name of the Father…"  
  
Mercedes placed the second skull next to the first, "And of the Son…"  
  
Finally, Mercedes placed the third candy skull with Anubis' name written on it, "And of the Holy Ghost…Amen."  
  
"Why did you say that?" Sage asked.  
  
"The three skulls represent the most Holy Trinity in the Catholic Faith," Mercedes smiled.  
  
Then the exchange student took the large candy skull from the basket and murmured, "Giver of life. You take away life and you bestow life upon this world."  
  
When Mercedes finished placing the skulls on the altar, she looked at the almost finished product. The four candles were lit to light Anubis' way back from Mictlan, the Sandalwood incense was burning, the other candles were lit as well, the white and purple tissue paper on the altar had been cut in the design of entwining chains. The shot glass was out, the Sake was out, the pitcher, the basin, and the towel were out, and several plates of food were out on the altar as well. Mercedes could see cold steamed rice, meat dumpling, peaches, plums, almonds, and some hard candy as well. Mercedes also noticed that someone had made the bread of the dead while she was busy with the candy skulls. She recognized the bread because she could see the brown loaf covered with white bone pattern on it. "I'm guessing the dumplings, rice, and almonds were some of your friend's favorite foods?" Mercedes asked.  
  
Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet nodded.  
  
"So, who made the bread and your friend's favorite food?" The girl asked.  
  
"You were so busy with the Candy Skulls," Mia smiled, "that you didn't notice me or Dais in the kitchen."  
  
"Well," Mercedes sighed, "It is a big kitchen. But the altar is almost done, we now only have two more things to do."  
  
"What do we have to do?" Rowen asked.  
  
Mercedes didn't answer, but began to collect the ash from the incense that was burning. With what incense ash she had, she placed the ash on the ground and made the symbol of the cross with the ash. "This is to purify the deceased," Mercedes explained.  
  
After she made the cross in front of the altar, she brushed her hands of and turned to Mia. "Do you still have the Cempazuchitl Marigolds?"  
  
Mia nodded, "they're in this bag."  
  
"Thanks," Mercedes nodded.  
  
While Mercedes was taking out the flowers, the eight armor bearers noticed that the flowers were being strewn in a path-like direction to the door from the altar. As Mercedes made the flowery path, she explained why she was making a path in the first place. "The Cempazuchitl Marigolds have an aroma that attract the dead to his or her home and altar. The path I'm making for your friend Anubis will go from the altar to the front door. After this, I'll strew a different path of Cempazuchitl Marigolds for Pepita."  
  
When the path was completed, Mercedes placed some Cempazuchitl Marigolds on Anubis' altar and smiled. "The altar to your friend is finished. Now, I need to work on Pepita's altar." 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
At 11:45, both altars had been completed. Mercedes smiled at the altar she had finished a few minutes ago. True, it wasn't as beautiful as Anubis' altar, but Mercedes was being heartfelt and sincere as she constructed her baby sister's altar. 'Now, all that's left is to turn on the radio and pass out the remaining candy skulls for everyone to eat,' she thought.  
  
Taking the radio she and Mia had brought for the Day of the Dead festivities; Mercedes put the radio on a small table and pressed the on button. No sound came out of the radio. "Mia!" Mercedes yelled, "Did you change the batteries?"  
  
"I put in new batteries this morning," Mia replied, "Why?"  
  
"Because I can't turn this radio on," Mercedes frowned.  
  
"Let me see it," Mia suggested.  
  
After tinkering with the radio for five minutes, Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet walked in. "What are you two doing?" Cale asked.  
  
"Trying to figure out why this radio I brought for the festivities isn't working," Mercedes answered.  
  
"Does this "radio" run on technology?" Dais questioned.  
  
Mercedes nodded.  
  
Dais smiled as he shook his head, "This is the Nether Realm. In this realm, mortal technology doesn't work."  
  
Mercedes looked like she was ready to kill the ex-Warlord of Illusion. "And how am I supposed to provide entertainment for the festivities?" She snapped.  
  
"Don't you have a guitar you brought from home here?" Mia asked.  
  
"That guitar is a old guitar that once belonged to my brother Pepe," Mercedes replied curtly. "Besides, I don't know how to play the guitar."  
  
"Then I guess we're not going to have any music," Mia sighed.  
  
"It looks that way," Sekhmet shook his head.  
  
Looking at her watch, Mercedes noticed that it was 12:00. "I have to get the other Candy Skulls," the Spanish girl smiled, "I need an outside opinion of what my cooking tastes like."  
  
As Mercedes went to the kitchen to get the remaining Candy Skulls, the three Seasons and Mia returned to the commons area where the five Ronins were waiting for them. "Mercedes seemed really upset that her "radio" didn't work," Cale sighed.  
  
"She'll live," Mia smiled. "I know that when she's at home, her brother plays his guitar at the Day of the Dead festival."  
  
"Well, I hope this…" Sekhmet began, until he heard a knock at the front door.  
  
The whole room became silent. "I wonder if the dead can knock," Kento whispered.  
  
"THAT'S NOT FUNNY KENTO!" Cye yelled.  
  
"Chill," Rowen replied, "I'll get the door."  
  
When Rowen got to the front door, he slowly opened the door only to find no one standing outside. Puzzled, he stepped out to look around. However, he did not see a Monarch Butterfly fly over his head and into the castle, passing everyone else in the commons area. The next thing everyone heard was the sound of a tray crashing onto the floor. 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
When Rowen heard the tray crash onto the floor, he immediately slammed the door shut and spun around; while he was doing this, he noticed that everyone was rushing down the hallway that led towards the castle kitchens. Running as fast as he could, Rowen and the other seven armor bearers bolted towards the kitchens, only to skid on the wooden floor that led to the area where everyone had heard the crashing noise. The white, unnamed Candy Skulls were still intact, but scattered all over the floor. However, no one noticed them because everyone was looking at Mercedes. She was kneeling on the floor, hugging a little eight-year-old girl. The little girl had Mercedes dark brown hair and tan skin; when the girl turned around, Dais noticed that she had brown eyes. They were a lighter shade of brown, not the Dark Brown color Mercedes had. "Mercedes," Dais swallowed, "who is this?"  
  
Mercedes smiled, "this is my sister Pepita."  
  
"Imp…Imp...Imp…Imp…Impossible," Cale stuttered, "Mia told me that your little sister died two years ago."  
  
"I did," Pepita smiled, looking at the new people in the room, "but every Day of the Dead, I leave Mictlan to spend time with my family."  
  
"But doesn't your family live in Mexico City?" Rowen questioned.  
  
"Yes," Pepita nodded, "but I like staying with Mercedes. She's the only one in my family who'll play dolls with me. Mama use to play dolls with me, but now that she and papa are working, she's always busy, and never has time to play. Mercedes is the only one who would play dolls with me every Day of the Dead."  
  
Everyone's eyes went wide; to Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet, the events taking place in front of them were far too weird to comprehend or explain.  
  
"So," Pepita asked when she turned towards her big sister, "who are your new friends?"  
  
"The boy with Black hair is Ryo," Mercedes began, "the boy with blond hair is Sage, the boy with smoke-gray hair is Kento, the boy with light brown hair is Cye, and the boy with blue hair is Rowen. The man with blue hair and the cross shaped scar on his face is Cale, the man with white hair is Dais, the man with green hair is Sekhmet, and the young lady with brown hair is Mia."  
  
Pepita looked at the three ex-Warlords, "so you're the three men that my friend keeps talking about."  
  
Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet looked at each other. "Friend?" Sekhmet questioned, "What friend?"  
  
Pepita giggled, "don't tell me you've forgotten him already. You know, Red-Brown hair, Blue-Green eyes, wears a funny looking outfit that he says was a monk's outfit from when he was alive. He gave me a new doll."  
  
"A doll?" Sekhmet questioned. The ex-Warlord of Venom knew that Anubis was more comfortable around people than animals, but still, Sekhmet did not see Anubis as the type of person who would give a child a doll.  
  
"Don't worry," Pepita smiled, "when I leave tomorrow. He'll come and visit you."  
  
"WHAT!" All eight armor bearers yelled in unison.  
  
"He's going to come and visit you," Pepita repeated, sighing, "besides, you made him an altar. It's only fair that he come and visit you."  
  
"But he died many months ago," Ryo countered, "How can he come and visit us?"  
  
"You eight obviously have not been paying attention," Mercedes sighed as she shook her head, "the Day of the Dead is a three day celebration. It starts on October 31, today, and ends on November 2. The deceased children visit at 12:00 in the afternoon on October 31, and at 12:00 in the afternoon tomorrow, November 1, Pepita will leave and your deceased friend will come and visit. The Day of the Dead festival is to welcome the dead home from Mictlan. Everyone who is visiting is dead. They have not been resurrected, for that will come at the Last Judgment, but their spirits will be solid and they can visit living friends, family, and other loved ones."  
  
Pepita giggled, "Anubis has funny friends."  
  
"They're not funny," Mercedes smiled, "they're just not used to the concept of the dead returning to visit the living."  
  
Pepita looked at her altar, "you made a very pretty altar."  
  
"Thanks," Mercedes blushed, "do you want anything to eat from there."  
  
"No," Pepita smiled, "I want you to play dolls with me. I have three new dolls to show you."  
  
With that, Pepita and Mercedes started walking towards the Commons Room. 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Dais sighed as he leaned up against the frame of the Commons Room and watched Mercedes and Pepita play with the little girl's new dolls. The ex-Warlord of Illusion still could not see Anubis as the type of person who would give a child a doll. On the other hand, the Warrior of Summer was a totally different story. When Dais was growing up, he had two little sisters who always wanted him to play dolls with them. It wasn't that playing with dolls was a problem; it was the fact that Mercedes and Pepita playing with the little girl's dolls reminded him of what little memories he had of his two younger sisters.  
  
Maybe it could be considered something the mortals call "blackmail material", an ex-Warlord who used to play dolls with his little sisters. Despite this, Dais was not ashamed of the fact that he used to play with dolls in the company of his sisters. But now, 400 years later, he had very few, if any memories of them. 'It's funny,' Dais thought as he laughed mentally, 'Talpa tries to wipe my memories clean, but he doesn't do a very good job of it. I'm amazed that Talpa was so careless.'  
  
Dais looked at the two girls playing with the dolls, when he noticed them for the first time. One of the dolls was dressed up in a white dress and veil, 'The way western mortals believe a bride should dress,' Dais thought.  
  
The doll next to the "bride" wore a black tux and a top hat, 'The way western mortals believe a bridegroom should dress up,' Dais thought again.  
  
But as he looked harder, the Warrior of Summer realized that the two dolls were chalk white, whiter than the "bride" doll's dress. As Dais was about to ask Pepita about her dolls, the little girl turned around and looked at Dais. "You know, if you want to play, you can always ask."  
  
The ex-Warlord of Illusion walked over to the two Spanish girls, "Do you need me to play the groom?" Dais asked, smiling and blushing at the same time.  
  
"Yes," Pepita grinned as she handed Dais the "groom" doll.  
  
The minute Dais took the doll into his hands; he shuddered and jerked his head towards the "bride" doll. The dolls were of a bride and groom, there was no mistaking that, but the "groom" and "bride" were nothing more than skeletons. Dais' eye went wide as he look at Mercedes for some reasonable explanation as to why a child would be playing with two skeleton dolls.  
  
"In Aztec culture," Mercedes smiled, "death was not seen as the end, but as a continuation of nature, order, renewal, and time. Skulls and/or skeletons were considered signs of renewal and life."  
  
Dais stopped shuddering.  
  
Pepita looked at Dais and then looked at Mercedes, "Do you think it would be a good idea to show him the doll Anubis gave me?"  
  
"You can show me," Dais smiled, "I used to have two sisters who wanted me to play dolls with them."  
  
Pepita nodded as she pulled out a tan-colored box. She opened the box, took the doll out, and handed it to Dais. When Dais accepted the doll, he took one look at it and cringed. Much to Mercedes surprise, the ex-Warlord of Illusion began to shake violently. The next thing Pepita heard was Dais making a sound like he was about ready to vomit and cry at the same time. "I…I…I…I…I…need to leave," Dais shuddered as he handed the doll back to Pepita and quickly left the room.  
  
Mercedes looked at her baby sister, "I should probably go see what's wrong with him."  
  
Pepita nodded as Mercedes stood up and followed Dais out of the room.  
  
Pepita shook her head, "You know." She sighed as she talked to the doll that Dais had just handed back to her, "Anubis really does have funny friends. Don't you agree, Shuten?"  
  
Of course, "Shuten", the doll Pepita had shown Dais, could not answer. "Shuten" was another Skeleton doll with its arms in an "X" position over its chest. In the doll's arms was a plastic Kusari-gama and it wore no helmet. The doll was also wearing a sewn version of the Armor of Cruelty. 


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Dais was thankful that he didn't throw up right in front of the little girl; he could take the Candy Skulls, he could take using flowers to attract the dead, and he was even willing to accept a child playing with a skeleton doll. However, that doll wearing a sewn version of the Armor of Cruelty was just too much to handle. Dais quietly sank to the floor, it wasn't that the doll scared him; it's just that when he looked at the doll, it jarred so many painful memories. He shook his head as the memories were being pushed forward from the subconscious part of his mind: Feeling Anubis' life force leaving his weak, injured body, the fight at that mortal "park" where they had viciously injured him, Cale holding Anubis' lifeless corpse, all eight armor bearers placing Anubis in the earth, and then, the worst memory, that horrid nightmare he kept having. 'DON'T REMEMBER THAT NIGHTMARE!' His mind screamed, 'YOU DIDN'T KILL HIM, TALPA DID!'  
  
But the nightmare came back to him in vivid details. Anubis was in a coffin with the lid open. Dais remembered that he was the only one in the room, looking at the corpse. Anubis' lifeless eyes were open, wide and accusing. In that nightmare, the Warrior of Spring's cold, dead eyes were accusing Dais of murdering him.  
  
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Dais was awoken from the flood of memories when he felt a hand on his shoulder, "You look sick, are you sure you don't need to throw up?" Mercedes asked.  
  
Dais got up and looked at the "exchange student" right in her eyes, "I don't know if I can deal with this Day of the Dead Festival."  
  
Mercedes sighed, "It's the memories, isn't it?"  
  
Dais didn't say anything.  
  
Mercedes nodded sadly, "The first time a loved one comes to visit those they care about on the Day of the Dead, it can be a painful experience. After Pepita's first Day of the Dead, I couldn't stop crying for a week. After Pepita's second visit, it got a little easier for me to handle. For some people, they can deal with this festival, for others, they find it very hard to deal with loved ones leaving them again."  
  
"She was innocent," Dais responded, looking away. "She didn't have blood on her hands."  
  
"Do you," Mercedes questioned, "have blood on your hands?"  
  
"Yes," Dais replied in a flat tone-of-voice.  
  
"And does your friend hate you for it?" Mercedes pushed the question further.  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised if he hated us for all eternity," Dais answered.  
  
"Pepita said he used to be a warrior until he met you three and your boss," Mercedes shook her head.  
  
"We did far worse," Dais grimaced, the bile rising in his throat.  
  
"When your friend died," Mercedes asked again, "did he carry any hate in his heart?"  
  
"No," Dais responded.  
  
"Then he learned to forgive," Mercedes finished.  
  
"Forgive," Dais smirked, which suddenly grew into a fit of hysterical laughter, "how can anyone forgive three heartless killers who stole so many innocent lives? How can there be forgiveness when you watch your friend die, knowing you can do nothing but sit there in your prison and watch? HOW CAN THERE BE FORGIVENESS?"  
  
Dais' fit of hysterical laughter bounced off Mercedes, 'The stress, the guilt, the pain, the sorrow, and the memories have finally come out,' she thought. 'He's bottled up all this pain and suffering for far too long, and this is the only way he knows how to express it. Maybe a visit from his friend would do him some good.'  
  
Soon, the hysterical laughter changed into crying. Mercedes wasn't surprised, when she grew up in Mexico City, she had seen many people who underwent the same type of sudden emotional bursts as the one Dais had, especially when the living had to allow the dead to return to Mictlan. In her city, just like in many cities in Mexico, there was a special ending celebration on November 2 in which many mummers would put on freighting masks to scare the unwilling dead back to Mictlan. Mercedes smiled as she briefly wondered if the mask thing would work. She had always wanted to be one of the mummers, but she knew that the others wouldn't approve. "I can't stop your friend from coming," Mercedes sighed, "the altar has been made, and there is no time for second thoughts, but that doesn't mean that I can't be there with you if you want to talk to him."  
  
"It doesn't matter," Dais smiled between his tears, "he could rise above his past and move on. The rest of us are stuck in a moment that we can't leave."  
  
Mercedes shook her head, "The past is gone, Dais, you can't change it. But you can change your future, you can make it worth living."  
  
Dais looked at Mercedes, "Do you really believe that?"  
  
"Death is not the end," Mercedes repeated, "but a continuation of the natural order of the universe. Nothing ends and nothing begins, it is all a continual cycle of death, life, and order."  
  
Dais smiled, "I didn't think westerners believed that?"  
  
"The Spanish don't," Mercedes smiled, "but the Aztecs did." 


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
It was quiet in the castle around 11:00 A.M on November 1. Pepita had left a few hours ago, but before she did leave, the little girl had shown everyone else her Shuten doll. Mia and Mercedes' five housemates cringed at the doll, but Cale and Sekhmet almost had a panic attack. When Pepita left, via her Monarch Butterfly, she gave Dais her Shuten doll. Dais accepted the doll, and quickly shot death glares at anyone who wanted to make fun of him holding a little girl's doll.  
  
After Pepita left, Mercedes explained why she was the first to visit and not their friend. "Pepita is an "angelitos" or little angel," she explained. "Every Day of the Dead, the little angels come before the faithful departed, or, in other words, the adults."  
  
"The…faithful…departed…" Dais sighed.  
  
Mercedes looked at the Warrior of Summer, "Are you okay?"  
  
Dais shook his head, "Do you really believe that Anubis will come and visit us?"  
  
"I don't see why not," Mercedes shrugged. "You made him an "ofrenda" or as you would call it, an altar, you cooked his favorite foods, you allowed me to place a path of Cempazuchitl Marigolds to his altar, you lit the four candles on top of his altar to guide him back home, and you left a bottle of Sake out for him. I don't see why he wouldn't come back to visit you eight and remember all the good times you had together."  
  
"We never had any "good times" together," Cale smirked. "Mia and your five housemates were once our enemies."  
  
"Will you cut it out," Rowen snapped, "he made his choice. He said he wasn't going to go back and you three should've respected his wishes."  
  
"And if it were your friend, Strata," Sekhmet shot back, "would you have just let your friend walk away?"  
  
"Okay!" Mercedes replied sharply, cutting the two groups of armor bearers off, "I don't care if you hate each others guts, all I ask is that when your friend is here, you act civil and try not kill each other. I have no desire to explain to your friend your rude behavior or make any spur-of-the-moment altars because some got killed."  
  
Everyone glared at Mercedes, who muttered something unrecognizable in Spanish, and walked away.  
  
*******************************************************************************************  
  
Mia sighed as she walked into Commons Room. Mercedes had told her that the Day of the Dead festival was a time when friends and family came together to remember his or her deceased loved ones, but Mia wondered if the small argument the Ronins and the Warlords almost started would've spoiled the festival. That brief spat had unconsciously brought back memories of that day in the park when Anubis had been viciously attacked and knocked unconscious. The Warlords had wanted to take Anubis back to Talpa, but the Ronins had told them no. Mia had seen the Warlords angry, but the way they looked at the Ronins when they refused to hand over Anubis, well, those glares were enough to scare anyone to death. 'It doesn't matter,' Mia thought, "Mercedes is right, the past is gone, and all we can do is look towards the future."  
  
Mia sat on one of the couches and opened up the book she had brought to read. Not paying attention, Mia's watch struck 12:00 P.M. and a Monarch Butterfly flew into the Commons Room through one of the castle's windows. Mia was still reading when someone gently tapped her on her shoulder. "Do you want any Sake?" A male voice asked.  
  
"Actually, I don't…" Mia began, until she looked at the person who had made the offer.  
  
Mia eyes went wide; he had come, just like Mercedes said he would. "YOU GUYS!" Mia yelled, "YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET IN HERE!"  
  
"Why?" Cale yelled back in response.  
  
"BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS DECIDED TO PAY US A VISIT!" Mia yelled, finishing the conversation.  
  
With that, everyone came barreling towards the Commons Room. When everyone finally skidded in, the person who had offered Mia a drink looked at everyone and smiled. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"  
  
"Anubis," Sekhmet whispered. 


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
The room was plunged into total silence. Everyone was looking at Anubis, who in return, looked at the "new" people who had just come skidding into the room. As if on cue, Mercedes loudly cleared her throat and asked, "Is this your friend?"  
  
"Yes," Cale whispered in a mix of awe and shock.  
  
"Well," Mercedes sighed, "I think it would be polite if you would introduce me to him."  
  
Anubis smiled at Mercedes, "Let them get over the shock. I don't think they know how to handle something like this."  
  
Dais and the others were completely stunned, true, they had heard Mercedes say that the dead would visit the living, but no one had been prepared for this surprise. "Dais," Rowen whispered, "is this one of your illusions?"  
  
"This better not be one of your illusions," Kento whispered back, "because if it is, then you're dead."  
  
"He's not an illusion," the ex-Warlord of Illusion whispered. "If he were, then I would have felt the vibrations by now."  
  
"Vibrations?" Ryo questioned.  
  
"When I create an illusion," the Warrior of Summer began, "the false copy will give off a vibration that I can feel throughout my body. A real person has a human aura and gives off light. I'm not feeling any vibrations, but I can feel a light that comes from a human aura."  
  
"I feel it too." Sage agreed, "This is no illusion."  
  
Mercedes sighed, "I could've told you that."  
  
Anubis raised his hand to stop Mercedes' next words, "my friends are not used to the fact that a dead friend has returned to visit them. Give them the time to take any measures that they feel is necessary."  
  
"There's only one way to tell for sure," Sekhmet challenged. "Anubis, do you remember the time we were traveling around Kyoto, and we ran into that Portuguese Missionary?"  
  
"I remember," Anubis nodded.  
  
"Do you remember what he said to you?" Sekhmet asked.  
  
"He said, and I quote, "You two reek of a demon from the depths of God's eternal damnation." I was sure he knew something about Talpa." Anubis stated.  
  
"Do you remember what happened next?" The Warrior of Autumn asked as he pushed the next question forward.  
  
"After you got angry, we left the city." Anubis remembered, "A few days later we came back and you used your sword whip on him. You gave the missionary a cut that allowed one of your poisons to surge throughout his body. He died eight days later from a poison that "somehow" managed to get into his body."  
  
The Venom Warrior turned to the others and nodded, "It's really him."  
  
Mercedes threw her arms up into the air, angry at the thought that they believed that she was lying to them. "I told you it was him. Why don't men ever listen?"  
  
Anubis laughed, "First of all, I do listen," he told Mercedes, "and second of all, Dais has the power to create illusions. He's suckered many people with his illusions because they look, feel, and act in a very realistic manner."  
  
Mercedes gave Dais a funny look, "That isn't possible, in my culture humans cannot make illusions, only witches who use black magic have that ability."  
  
"I AM NOT A WITCH!" The Spider Warrior yelled, offended at Mercedes' remark.  
  
"I'm not saying that you are a witch," Mercedes shot back, "I'm just saying that in my culture, illusions are created by witches for evil purposes."  
  
"Like all the times you tried to kill me?" Kento sneered.  
  
"Shut up!" Dais snapped.  
  
"Okay!" Mercedes snapped, "I believe we had a discussion about the proper behavior to have around your friend."  
  
"It's okay." Anubis laughed, "this is normal for all of us. In fact, I've missed all this bickering."  
  
Mercedes rolled her eyes as she left the Commons Room and headed straight for the Castle Kitchens.  
  
Anubis looked around the room. A few things had changed since he had died. There were more lights in the castle, thanks to something the mortals called "Skylights." Anubis also noted that the castle didn't its usual musty smell anymore.  
  
As Anubis' eyes traveled around the room, he found his altar. He recognized the altar as his own because it had his picture as well as his favorite food. When he saw the gold washbasin, pitcher, towel, and soap, he smiled. "Thank goodness I can clean up after that trip."  
  
"Uh, why?" Cale asked.  
  
Anubis looked at the Warrior of Winter, "Have you ever traveled via Monarch Butterfly?"  
  
"No," The ex-Warlord of Corruption replied.  
  
"It's not exactly a very clean way to travel." Anubis sighed, "Besides, a person can get really dirty after a long trip like the one I just took."  
  
No one said anything as Anubis began to wash his face and hands. 


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
Mercedes smiled as she heard the sound of laughter ringing throughout the large castle. 'They may have hated each other at one time,' she thought, 'but I'm glad they're learning to work together for Anubis' sake.'  
  
While the Spanish girl was finishing up a new batch of candy skulls, she noticed that she hadn't heard Dais, Cale, or Sekhmet's voices in a while. 'I guess they're still in shock,' she guessed.  
  
As the Exchange Student walked out of the kitchen with the tray of candy skulls, she absent-mindedly passed the room where Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet were having a very heated discussion.  
  
"How do we know the Ronins won't stop us?" Sekhmet questioned.  
  
"It's a full-proof plan," Dais snapped, "there's no possible way it can fail."  
  
Mercedes blinked, 'What are they talking about?' She wondered as she quietly edge closer to the conversation.  
  
*******************************************************************************************  
  
"This could be more trouble than it's worth Dais," Cale replied coolly.  
  
"The last time I checked," Dais glared, "you didn't oppose this idea at all."  
  
"I don't oppose this plan," Cale growled, "but Sekhmet's right, what if the Ronins try to stop us."  
  
"Or Mercedes," Sekhmet agreed, "Mia told me that something like this would drive her nuts."  
  
"Mercedes is weak," Dais snapped in a loud tone of voice, "She accepts the dead leaving their loved ones to go back to their world and she does nothing about it. If she really wanted to, she could've kept Pepita here."  
  
"Look," Sekhmet sighed, "I'm not opposed to keeping Anubis here, but we have to think about the consequences that could come up."  
  
"Don't worry," Dais smiled, "I deal with that when it happens."  
  
*******************************************************************************************  
  
Mercedes could not believe what she had just heard. Allowing the dead to return to Mictlan is not considered a sign of weakness among her people, in fact, to allow the dead to return to Mictlan tells the community that the person in question understands the cycle of life, death, rebirth, and order. In her culture, to prevent the dead from returning to Mictlan is considered a cowardly and sacrilegious act. 'What in the name of our Lady of Guadalupe are they thinking? Mictecacihuatl will strike them down for their cowardice and impiety.'  
  
Quietly slipping away from the area in question, Mercedes hurried towards the Commons Room with her tray of candy skulls. As she walked down the hallway, Mercedes quietly prayed. "Our Lady of Guadalupe, the beautiful Lady of the Americas, and mother to us all, give me the strength to do the right thing, even if it is not the most popular choice." 


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Mercedes walked into the Commons Room with her tray of Candy skulls, where she found Anubis sitting on one of the couches laughing with Mia and her five housemates. The Spanish girl could only smile, 'If there were times when Anubis was alive and having a peaceful conversation like this, then I can't really blame the Warlords for wanting them to keep him here?'  
  
Mercedes mentally slapped herself at that thought, 'Every person that I have met at home would like to have his or her deceased loved ones back, but it is still a cowardly and impious thing to do.'  
  
"Hey!" Mercedes smiled, snapping out of her inner dialog, "I got the Candy skulls out of the kitchen. I would like you to try some."  
  
"Sure," Anubis nodded as Mercedes began to hand out the skull-looking confection.  
  
After everyone took a skull, Anubis took a bite and started chewing. "This is a good Candy Skull," the Warrior of Spring replied after he had finished chewing and swallowing the white confection.  
  
Mercedes blushed, "Thank you."  
  
Mia took a bite out of her Candy Skull and nodded in agreement as she chewed. However, the Ronins were a bit hesitant. When Mercedes looked at her five housemates, she sighed heavily saying, "It's just a candy skull. Nothing is going to come oozing out if you bite into it."  
  
Sighing, Kento took a bite and chewed. When he finally swallowed, he smiled, "You're right, these skulls aren't bad. Although the candy would look better if it weren't in the shape of a skull."  
  
Mercedes grinned, happy that her cooking was satisfactory. From what she had learned, Kento's family owned a restaurant in a place called Yokohama. Mercedes knew that restaurant owners were the biggest critics a chef to deal with, so if her cooking was good enough for a son of a restaurant owner, then she probably did have some type of talent.  
  
As she was ready to pass out more Candy Skulls, the three hosts walked in. Mercedes tried to keep an idiot smile plastered on her face when she saw them. 'Impious cowards,' she thought angrily, 'how could you think of preventing the dead to return to Mictlan?'  
  
"Where have you three been?" Anubis asked, "I've wanted all of us to sit down and talk."  
  
"We were busy." Dais replied, "Something came up."  
  
'Liar,' Mercedes thought again, 'you three have got to be the biggest liars I have ever met. Although you can never really tell by looking.'  
  
"Anyway," Anubis continued, "I was wondering how everyone and everything's been doing on, especially the gardens."  
  
Mercedes furrowed her eyebrows, "Gardens, what gardens?"  
  
"The Castle Gardens." Anubis replied, "It's the only place that has natural life in it during Talpa's reign."  
  
Mercedes couldn't help but smile, "You mean your boss that cheap?"  
  
Anubis chuckled, "Talpa was many things. But cheap was certainly not one of them."  
  
"Anubis is right," Dais smiled, "If you look around, everything in this castle is very expensive."  
  
"Oh," Mercedes smiled, completely ignoring Dais, "Well…I was wondering if Anubis could show me the Castle gardens?"  
  
The three Seasons looked at each other, "Any reason in particular?"  
  
"I live in a very crowded city," Mercedes sighed, hoping no one would see the lie in her eyes, "and it would be nice to see actually greenery instead of looking at pictures of Rainforests."  
  
Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet eyed each other suspiciously. Anubis looked at his brothers-in-arms and rolled his eyes, "It's just the Castle Gardens," he concluded, "it's not like she's going to destroy anything."  
  
"Fine," Cale sighed as he and the two remaining Seasons walked out of the room.  
  
'They have got to be the most overprotective group of people I've ever met in my entire life,' Mercedes thought as Anubis lead her towards the garden area.  
  
********************************************************************************************  
  
When Mercedes and Anubis walked into the garden, the Spanish girl could not believe her eyes. Even though it was autumn, the gardens vividly reminded her of the Tropical rainforests she had seen in pictures that surrounded the Mayan and Aztec ruins. There was a stone pathway that made a trail all around the garden. On the trail were a few benches, and beyond the boundary of the pathway was wide emerald green grass. And where the grassy area ended, there were various trees and plants that she had seen ever since she had come to Japan. Mercedes could pick out Wisteria, Cherry Blossoms, Bamboo, Plum and Peach trees, and even Imperial Chrysanthemums. "Wow!" Mercedes breathed, "This place is just as beautiful as the Amazon Rainforest."  
  
"This was my favorite place to sit down and meditate," Anubis smiled, "It was also one of the few places that all four of us could just talk and do the normal things that mortals do."  
  
"Speaking of your friends," Mercedes began, "they seem to be…a little…well…"  
  
"Overprotective," Anubis laughed.  
  
"Exactly," Mercedes sighed. "How did you tolerate living with three overprotective men?"  
  
"They weren't always that overprotective," Anubis sighed. "At least not until our group felt threatened."  
  
"It was your choice, or at least that is what I was told," Mercedes said flatly, not making eye contact with Anubis.  
  
"It was," Anubis agreed, "but when I left, I think they became afraid."  
  
"What do you mean?" Mercedes questioned. "I know that the Japanese believe that one person is part of a group."  
  
"But in that group is stability," Anubis continued, "I am one person, but I am not an island. I can not do anything alone because I am part of a society."  
  
Mercedes continued to listen.  
  
"I rebelled against my group," Anubis continued, "In my culture, that is very dangerous. Rebellion against a person's group brings not only misfortune or harm to the group as a whole, but the person who rebelled may end up in terrible suffering, or worse, death."  
  
"You mean they feared that you would die if you weren't with a stable group?" Mercedes asked.  
  
"Yes," Anubis sighed, "They feared that if I was alone and without a stable group, something bad might happen and I would have nowhere to go. If I was alone, I was considered defenseless against society's ills such as: serious disease, hunger, and homelessness. But the worst thing they feared, and this was probably was the biggest motivator in trying to bring me back, was that I had the potential to die in the worst possible way, alone, and with no friends or "family" around to help me ease my dieing."  
  
"But death is natural," Mercedes argued.  
  
"It is," Anubis agreed, "but in my faith, death is seen as an unavoidable misfortune that keeps the universe in check."  
  
"But you didn't die alone," Mercedes finished.  
  
"You're right, I didn't," Anubis replied, "But they were not there physically with me when I died. So, in a way, Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet's worst fear came true. I don't think they've recovered or will ever recover from that."  
  
Mercedes sighed, it was one thing to try to keep a person from returning to Mictlan, but wouldn't it also depend on the situation? 'It's best if you don't worry about that now,' she thought, "remember Shinto and Catholicism have two very different ethical codes."  
  
"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Anubis asked.  
  
"We can talk as we walk," Mercedes smiled as they began to walk down the pathway. 


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
As Anubis and Mercedes continued to walk on the path that wound around the Castle Gardens, the Spanish girl became tense. She knew that if she ratted out on the three Warlords and they would find out…well…from what she had heard from Mia and her five housemates, when Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet were still working for their ex-boss, they would have had no problem shutting her up permanently. 'I don't believe they'll kill me,' Mercedes thought, 'but considering how close they once were, I don't know if I should risk it.'  
  
As the deceased Warlord and the Exchange Student kept walking around the pathway, Mercedes decided that if she were going to rat, then now would be the time. "Anubis, do you believe that your friends are going to let you go back to Mictlan when this is all over?"  
  
"If it wouldn't get them into trouble," Anubis sighed, "then I believe they would try to keep me here."  
  
"You say that as if you expect them to stop you," Mercedes responded.  
  
"I've lived with Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet for 400 years," the Deceased Warrior of Spring smiled, "you tend to learn a lot about people in that time frame."  
  
"Impossible!" Mercedes answered as her eyes bulged, "No human being can live for 400 years!"  
  
"Talpa's magic allowed us to live for 400 years," Anubis laughed, "but that gift came at a price."  
  
"Doesn't everything?" Mercedes grumbled.  
  
Anubis nodded.  
  
"So," Mercedes asked as she cleared her throat, "what makes you believe that your friends would want to keep you here?"  
  
"For 400 years," Anubis sighed, making eye contact with the Exchange Student, "it was just the four of us. We lived together, laughed together, and did all the things "normal" people do. We're a family, and everyone of us, including Dais, didn't want our inclusive group to fall apart."  
  
"But isn't that being…selfish?" Mercedes asked.  
  
"I know you love your little sister Mercedes," Anubis smiled, "and I think she is a wonderful little girl, but if it wouldn't get you in trouble, would you have kept Pepita here?"  
  
Mercedes looked shocked, no one had ever asked her that question. "Well…I…uh…um…" Mercedes stammered until she gave up and sighed. "If it wouldn't get me into trouble," the girl answered, "then…yes…I would keep her here."  
  
"And how is that any different than what my friends want?" Anubis challenged.  
  
"Because it's a false scenario," Mercedes countered, "If it wouldn't get me into trouble, then I would keep my little sister here. But preventing the dead from returning to Mictlan is wrong, and the both of us know that. We may not want it that way, but that is how the world works."  
  
"And if it weren't wrong," Anubis looked at her, "then you would have the same restraints as you do now?"  
  
Mercedes could only look back at Anubis.  
  
"My friends are like that." Anubis continued, "they don't hesitate because what is deemed "wrong" by the mortals is often ignored by my friends. Because of where they live and the effects of time on their bodies and minds, they don't have or obey the same mortal restraints that you, Mia, or the Ronin Warriors obey."  
  
"So," Mercedes concluded, "if your friends were "really" trying to keep you here, then you would be angry with them, but you would understand why they would do something like that?"  
  
"Yes," Anubis answered, "I would understand. I know that it is wrong to prevent the dead from returning to Mictlan, but they are not as easily swayed by the "mortal" restraint that you and the others are bound by."  
  
"They must be very protective of you," Mercedes pondered.  
  
"I learned that anyone who tried to take my place was either defeated and/or killed by the Ronin Warriors." Anubis replied as he shook his head, "Some, if not all of those who tried to take my place, were personally set up by Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet."  
  
"And someone like me…?" Mercedes continued.  
  
"Back then, in their eyes, you would have been nothing more than a nuisance that needed to be eliminated," Anubis responded in a flat tone-of-voice.  
  
Looking at her watch, Mercedes realized that it was 3:00 in the afternoon. "By our Lady of Guadalupe!" the Spanish girl replied in alarm, "I have to go to the kitchen to make the food, get the flowers, and get the candles for our 6:00 picnic at your grave! I cannot believe I almost forgot!"  
  
As Mercedes ran off, Anubis looked at the girl and sadly shook his head. 'Thank you for warning me,' the deceased ex-warlord of Cruelty thought, 'but now you must choose. Will you follow through to prevent my friends for keeping me here? Or will you sit back idly and do nothing?'  
  
Anubis knew he could hold his own in a fight against his friends, if it came down to that point, but the deceased Warrior of Spring didn't know how Mercedes would do in a fight. But if she pushed Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet's buttons hard enough…well…then there was no guarantee that Mercedes would go back home to Mexico alive. He didn't think they would kill her, but considering how many replacements they had set up to be killed by the Ronin Warriors, he wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to do anything. 


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
As Mercedes wound her way through the semi-darkened hallways located inside Talpa's former stronghold. As the Spanish girl walked through one of the halls, Mercedes felt a strange sensation crawl up her spine. It wasn't just because she had "accidentally" spilled her hosts' plans to do something completely sacrilegious, but she feared that she would not be able to stop the three ex-Warlords. 'Anubis said that his friends aren't bound by the same restraints that I am,' the Exchange Student thought in a frenzied state-of-mind, 'but they are men. They know the difference between right and wrong.'  
  
As Mercedes walked down the last hall that led to the kitchen, she noticed Dais leaning his back against the Hallway wall. "How was your walk?" The Warrior of Summer asked as he greeted the Spanish girl with a smile that made her insides go cold.  
  
"Fine," Mercedes replied, feeling tense. "Why do you ask?"  
  
The Warrior of Summer smiled again, "I heard you and Anubis talking about my people's religious beliefs."  
  
Mercedes looked at Dais. Had one of the hosts overheard the conversation she and Anubis' had just a few minutes ago? "And if I was?"  
  
"It would be wise if you listened to him," Dais responded, looking ready to murder someone. "He didn't stay alive for 400 years by being an idiot."  
  
'He overheard the both of us,' Mercedes realized as she shuddered in horror. But Mercedes swallowed her fear and countered by saying, "The Lord gives and The Lord takes away. And if you looked at my religious beliefs, trying to be or play God is a serious crime."  
  
"You obey that rule as if you believe the world is black and white," the ex-Warlord of Illusion smirked.  
  
"The rules are the rules," Mercedes answered back, trying to hide the shakiness in her voice. "You are 400 years old; you should know the difference between right and wrong."  
  
"But what is wrong in one culture may not be wrong in another culture," Dais calmly replied.  
  
"The last time I checked," Mercedes responded, casting a nervous glare, "Shinto had an ethical code. I studied it, and I know that you have learned it as well."  
  
"What exactly are you implying?" The Summer Warrior growled, startling Mercedes.  
  
"If you have nothing to hide," Mercedes answered, feeling a little more calm than she had been in the past few minutes, "then you have nothing to worry about. If you do, then it will come out."  
  
"Even if I were hiding something," Dais snickered, narrowing his eyes, "what makes you think anyone would find out and/or stop me?"  
  
"The Virgin of Guadalupe will hear the cries of those who have been wronged and will console them. She will also intercede with God to give them Justice," Mercedes countered. "Including Anubis."  
  
With that, Mercedes walked away. 


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
  
"So much for your full-proof plan Dais," Cale snapped when the Warrior of Summer had finished telling his two brothers-in-arms about the recent conversation he had with Mercedes.  
  
"Before I overheard Anubis and the "Exchange Student" talking, I didn't think that anyone had overheard us," Dais snapped back in response.  
  
"So, to put it simply," Sekhmet sighed, "Anubis knows what we're planning to do."  
  
"Yes," the Summer Warrior agreed, confirming Sekhmet's statement.  
  
"So." The Darkness Warrior began, crossing his arms, "Now what do we do?"  
  
"Well, we can't kill her," the Snake Warrior answered, shaking his head.  
  
Dais and Cale just looked at each in sheer amazement. "And since when did you have a problem killing someone who attempted to threatened our group?" Cale questioned, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"If someone threatens our group," Sekhmet replied, " then I don't have a problem killing that person. However, you need to realize that Mercedes is an "Exchange Student." From what I've learned, an "Exchange Student" travels to another country via an "Exchange Program" set up by a group of people from something called a "Company." This "company" also has to help deal with something called a "passport" and something else the mortals call a "Student Visa." After Mercedes got her "Student Visa" and "Passport," she probably had to go to our country's representative in Mexico, called a "Consulate," so she could become acquainted with our laws."  
  
"And…where exactly are you going with this Sekhmet?" Dais questioned.  
  
"Mercedes' information to our "Consulate" is shared by the Culinary School she is studying at," Sekhmet replied, answering Dais' question, "A very small part of our country's governing body, "The Diet," also has the power and ability to keep track of her. If she were to "disappear" or "have an accident," then the people in that branch of government would find out and begin to ask questions. If one of the Ronins talk, not only do we get exposed as killers, but the Nether Realm gets exposed to the public, which means…"  
  
"Which means we're in trouble," Dais finished.  
  
"So," Cale sighed, "Do you have anything to back up this problem?"  
  
"Well," Dais began, "since killing her is out of the question. The only option we have left is to intimidate her."  
  
"And how exactly are we going to threaten and intimidate her?" Sekhmet asked in a realistic tone-of-voice, "she disappears, or has an "accident" then questions would be raised. We can't exactly travel to Mexico to threaten her family without some type of documentation that could be traced to us or proven to be false. Not only that, but her sister is dead, so we can't kill her. The way I see it, unless you plan to falsify documents claiming that Mercedes is dead, and provide a real sturdy illusion that can survive several hours of travel to Mexico and several more days before a Funeral, then there's nothing we can do."  
  
"Where did you learn all of this?" Cale asked the green-haired 17-year-old Warrior of Autumn.  
  
"Remember after the Anubis' Funeral, we stayed with the Ronins and Mia for a couple of days?" Strata had said something about all the paperwork he had to help his mother fill out when she traveled to and from our country as something the mortals call an "International Journalist." I asked him if he needed help, and after he explained to me what I needed to do, I helped him complete the paperwork."  
  
"So, do the mortals consider falsifying documents serious?" Dais tentatively.  
  
"In some countries, it is a very serious offense," Sekhmet answered. "But I never asked Strata about our country."  
  
"Well," Cale concluded, "it doesn't look like…"  
  
"There's also another reason why we can't kill Mercedes," the Warrior of Autumn replied, interrupting Cale's train-of-thought. "If she tries to stop us and we kill her because of her beliefs, then we are making her a martyr."  
  
Dais and Cale looked at each other in confusion.  
  
"We don't need another person dead because of his or her beliefs." 


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15  
  
The Spanish girl was about ready to scream. Mercedes had just about had it with this Castle, her hosts, and this bizarre "Nether Realm." The inability to utilize technology, the strange sky, her strange hosts, and the apparent lack of intelligence by things called "Dynasty Soldiers" was enough to push her, and probably anyone else, over the edge. 'I think I know why my hosts' ex-boss failed,' the exchange student thought as she shook her head.  
  
Mercedes was not looking for a fight; in fact, she had tried to talk to some of the "Dynasty Soldiers" into ringing one of the tower bells at 6:00 PM when they planned to go to Anubis' grave for a picnic. Ringing the tower bell, due to the fact that was no Catholic Church Bell, starting at 6:00 PM between 30 second intervals was to summon the dead back to their graves or tombs. All of them would go to Anubis' grave and stay there until sunrise so that everyone could clean the headstone, place the food, candles, and flowers out on the grave, and then have the traditional graveside picnic. Mercedes remembered the Day of the Dead celebrations back her home when her brother Pepe would bring his guitar to the family tombs and play songs for entertainment. Unfortunately, the Spanish girl never learned to play the guitar because she never saw any reason to learn. Of course, she had also assumed that she would stay within her own country for the rest of her life, 'but then again, God tests us wherever we go.' Mercedes thought.  
  
Placing her faith aside for a moment, Mercedes knew she had to finish getting ready for the picnic. When the exchange student had tried to talk to the soldiers, they knew right away that she had a Western Accent. Perhaps they were not making fun of her accent, but were acting on orders from Dais to ignore her. Surprisingly, none of the soldiers has drawn out any weapons when she started swearing; so either they were acting on orders, or they thought the sight of her losing her temper was amusing.  
  
Mercedes then stormed away from the soldiers, and walked back into the castle. She still had to get the cleaning supplies for the grave and cook the food for the picnic, 'you would think my hosts would act in a more mature manner?' The girl sighed  
  
As Mercedes entered the castle proper, and walked down the semi-darkened hallways that lead towards the kitchen, the she accidentally walked right into Dais. "Having problems?" The former Warlord of Illusion grinned.  
  
"Get out of my way, witch, I do not have time for you," Mercedes snapped.  
  
Without warning, Dais grabbed her shoulder and forced her to look at him. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!" he yelled.  
  
"I called you a witch," Mercedes answered again in a defiant tone-of-voice. "And it is what you are. You have used your powers for selfish reasons, and you cannot seem to realize that Anubis is perfectly capable of making it on his own."  
  
"AND IF IT WERE YOUR FRIEND!" Dais yelled, shaking Mercedes, "WOULD YOU HAVE JUST WALKED AWAY FROM THAT PERSON?"  
  
"When someone say "no" they mean "no." Mercedes answered, look at the Warrior of Summer straight in the eye, "So when Anubis wanted you to leave him alone, he meant it."  
  
Dais calmed down a little, only to mask his anger with a bone-chilling smile that made Mercedes shudder, "If I wouldn't get me into trouble, then I would kill you right here and right now. But I can't, so let me tell you this one thing: I will not make you a martyr in your mind or your precious God's mind. So stay out of my way!"  
  
Dais released his painful grip on Mercedes' shoulders and then walked away. The only thought that ran through Mercedes' stunned mind was, 'he let me off way too easy.' 


End file.
